Private 6-day Tour Beach And Castles Of Albania

Itinerary

Day 1: Tirana - Petrela - Belsh - Berat (Lake and History day)

Stop At: Skanderbeg Square, At the center of Tirana, Tirana Albania
In Tirana you will visit the main Boulevard in the center, the Gallery of Arts, the Skanderbeg square, the main Boulevard, the
Mosque, the Bunker, the Pyramid, Mother Theresa square, blloku area which is also the most frequented area of the city, the national park of Tirana, and the Mosaic of Tirana. you will visit the National Historical Museum if you would like.


Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Petrela Castle, Rruga Durishtit, Petrele 1034 Albania
This dramatically set 15th-century hilltop castle, just a short distance outside Tirana, is worth a trip if you're not visiting one of the other better-known castles in Albania, such as those in Berat, Shkodra or Gjirokastra. A short hike up an easy pathway looping around the hillside gets you into the castle, which nowadays houses a fairly run-of-the-mill restaurant.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Belsh, Albania
The small town of Belsh sits in the middle of many small lakes. It is mainly agricultural land, and there seems to be no immediate reason for the tourists to venture here. But sometimes, when the weather is not quite good enough to visit dramatic mountains, or if one tires of the beach…
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Enver Hoxha Pyramid, Boulevard Deshmoret e Kombit, Tirana Albania
Designed by Enver Hoxha's daughter and son-in-law and completed in 1988, this monstrously unattractive building was formerly the Enver Hoxha Museum and more recently a convention centre and nightclub. Today, covered in graffiti and surrounded by the encampments of Tirana's homeless, its once-white marble walls are now crumbling, but no decision on whether to demolish or restore it has yet been reached.

The pyramid is during our sightseeing and we will stop 10 minutes for explanation
Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Pazari i Ri, Shenasi Dishnica, Tirana 1001 Albania
The New Bazaar (Pazari i Ri), one of the oldest and most historical residential neighbourhood in the city of Tirana, has undergone renovation and re-invigoration of late. Many of the traditional elements of the old town have been preserved whilst the square has been refreshed with an updated and more modern look. The name derives from the local farmer’s marketplace situated at the center, where more than 300 farmers of the surrounding areas come to sell their fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, seafood, and spices to name but a few.
You will spend here some free time if you would like to buy some typical Products
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast in the Hotel
• Lunch: Traditional 3 course Menu in Belsh village or on the way to Belsh
• Dinner: 3-course menu Traditional Menu in Berat
Accommodation included: 4 or 3 stars Hotel in the center of Berat

Day 2: Berat - Gjirokastra (Historical castles day)

Stop At: National Ethnographic Museum Berat, Lagja 13 Shtatori Mangalem, Berat Albania
The National Ethnographic Museum of Berat, situated within a striking, typical 18th century two-story Berat residence, is a pleasant immersion into the lifestyle traditions of this fascinating town. The museum’s pavilions are nicely organized within the two stories of the former residence. The nice journey along the pavilions reveals an accurate panorama of the traditions and daily conditions of the lives of Berat’s prominent families.

You will spend in this museum around 1 hour and the admission fee it's not included in the price
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Berat Castle, Rruga Mihal Komnena, Berat 5001 Albania
Transfer to the fortress of Berat and visit The Interior: Berati fortress, Onufri museum Berat is one of the most visited and characteristic cities of Albania under the protection of UNESCO as
the patronage of the humanity for its unique architectural character. In Berat, we visit the castle and the Onufri museum. Berat Castle is particularly interesting because people still live within its walls in their traditional houses, just like their ancestors for centuries. The castle had more than 40 churches, of which 7 remain, including the Sainte-Marie church, transformed into an Onufri museum. Onufri was a famous 16th-century Albanian icon painter who painted many orthodox churches in Albania and Greece, using a special red color.
The visit, you will have free time in the old town.
You will spend around 2 hours in the castle depending on your request
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: National Iconographic Museum Onufri, Located in the Inner Part of Saint Mary Church in Berat Castel, Berat Albania
Built in 1797, this cathedral is situated at the highest altitude of the Berat Castle, though it can be a little difficult to find. While the Ottomans were Muslim, they allowed Christians to continue practicing their faith and build churches, though not very visibly.

You will spend in the museum around 1 hour
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast: at the hotel
• Lunch: Traditional Lunch in Berat old town
• Dinner: 3-course menu Dinner in Gjirokastër old town
Accommodation included: Hotel near the center of Gjirokastra

Day 3: Gjirokastra - Blue eye - Saranda (Afternoon Beach day)

Stop At: Skenduli House, Rruga Sokaku i Te Mareve, Gjirokaster Albania
The lovingly restored Ottoman-era Skenduli House has been in the hands of the same family for generations (apart from a few years during the communist period when the government took it over), and you'll most likely be shown around by a member of the family. Dating from the early 1700s, but partially rebuilt in 1827, the house has many fascinating features, including a room used only for wedding ceremonies and which has 15 windows, many with stained glass.

You will visit the house with a guide.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Gjirokaster, Albania
Gjirokastra's eerie hilltop castle is one of the biggest in the Balkans. There's been a fortress here since the 12th century, although much of what can be seen today dates to the early 19th century. The castle remains somewhat infamous due to its use as a prison under the communists. Inside there's a collection of armory, two good museums, plenty of crumbling ruins to scramble around, and superb views over the valley.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Gjirokaster Castle, Gjirokaster Albania
the Castle of Gjirokastra is all that can be seen, rising majestically over the city. Like a giant ship made of stone, it extends across the 1100-foot-high hillside on which it was built during the 4thcentury. A monument to nearly two thousand years of Albanian history, this castle is nowadays one of the most visited places in Albania.
You will spend around 2 hours in the castle including the time to go and to come back.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Gjirokastra Bazaar, Old town, Gjirokaster Albania
The 'Neck of the Bazaar' makes up the center of the Old Town but what were once artisanal workshops are today mainly tourist souvenir shops. There are a couple of stone carvers left at the top end of the bazaar.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Butrint National Park, SH81, Butrint Albania
After lunch, you will start visiting the top archaeological sites of Butrint inside: Butrint (Butrint in Albanian) from ancient Greek was an ancient Greek city and later Roman and a bishopric in Epirus. Inhabited since prehistoric times, Buthrotum was a city of the Greek Chaonian tribe, later a Roman
colony and a bishopric. It went into decline at the end of Antiquity, before being abandoned in the Middle
Ages after a major earthquake flooded most of the city.

Hotel check-in and free time by the sea Saranda, which is
the unofficial capital of the Albanian Riviera, and over the summer months, it seems like half of Tirana is moving here to enjoy the lively beach and the lively nightlife along its crowded seaside promenade.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast in the Hotel


• Lunch: 3-course menu in saranda
• Dinner: 3-course menu in Lekursi castle
Accommodation included: Overnight in 3 or 4 stars hotel in Saranda

Day 4: Saranda - Albanian Riviera - Llogara (Beach day)

Stop At: Qeparo Beach, Qeparo Albania
Setting off from Himara, the road is only 13 km long and full of the beautiful Mediterranean views for which the Ionian Coast is so famous for. The locals say that Qeparo’s name comes from the cypress tree, which are so common in this area. Unlike the many rocky beaches of the south, Qeparo Beach has fine sand, and the sea is shallow for the first few meters, making it different from the immediate depths of Dhërmi and Jali. It’s for this reason that Qeparo is such a family favorite. There’s also a very quaint old pier which has been built on the large rocks that lay there.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Porto Palermo Castle, Himare Albania
On the way to Himara near the Ionian sea, in a picturesque bay just south of Himara, this 19th-century fortress, also known as the Castle of Ali Pasha, makes for an interesting stop-off along the coastal road. The fortress itself is eerily dark inside, but it's well worth paying to wander around and explore the battlements, which have superb sea views.
Duration: 2 hours

Pass By: Llogara Pass, Palase Albania
The Llogara Pass is a high mountain pass within the Ceraunian Mountains along the Albanian Riviera. It connects the Dukat Valley in the north with Himarë in the south.
You will have a short stop for pictures of the amazing Albanian Riviera.

Meals included:
• Lunch: 3-course traditional Menu for lunch in Kruja
• Breakfast: breakfast in the hotel
• Dinner: 3-course menu in Llogara National Park
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 5: Vlora (Free Beach Day and Boat Trip)

Stop At: Drymades 440 02, Albania
It is one of the most famous destinations in south Albania, the first place you keep in mind when you think of the summer vacation and the most popular, especially among Albanian tourists. Drymades still remains beautiful and coveted even for foreigners, and not only by tourists but also by journalists. Once more this summer, on media articles, Drymades was ranked second on the list of the ten most beautiful beaches in Europe by The Guardian.
Duration: 4 hours

Pass By: Independence Monument, Sheshi Pavaresia, Vlore Albania
The Monument of Independence is a monument in Vlorë, Albania, dedicated to the Albanian Declaration of Independence and worked by Albanian sculptors, Muntaz Dhrami and Kristaq Rama. It is found in the Flag's Plaza, near the building where the first Albanian government worked in 1913.
You will have one 10 minutes stop on this historical center of Vlora.

Stop At: Dhermi Beach, Dhermi Albania
Dhërmi beach is well and truly under the tourist trance in summer: expect booked-out accommodation, loud music and half of Tirana sprawled on the stones. Despite this, there is fun to be had, and as the beach is so long, even in high summer it's possible to find quiet, unspoiled parts. Turn left onto the beach and walk south to escape the music and find empty stretches of beach fronting startlingly blue waters.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast: in the hotel
• Lunch: 3-course menu
• Dinner: 3-course menu
Accommodation included: Overnight in 3 or 4 stars hotel in Vlora

Day 6: Vlora - Apollonia - Durres - Tirana (Beach and History Day)

Stop At: Apollonia Archaeological Park, Pojan Albania
In the morning time you will depart for the Apollonia archeological site. If we could choose the one place where you will have your most memorable encounter with history in Albania, it would have to be the ancient city of Apollonia, founded in the sixth century B.C. Situated in southwestern Albania, about 13 miles from the city of Fier, this city was built by Greek colonizers on the lands of the Taulantii Illyrian tribe. It was considered to be one of the most prominent cities at the time, selected from over twenty other cities throughout the Mediterranean, to receive the glorious name of Apollo, the god of music and poetry.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Durres Amphitheatre, Rruga Kalase, Durres Albania
The Amphitheater of Durrës remains one of the most majestic of the ancient world and one of ten most beautiful Roman amphitheaters. Widely recognized among enthusiasts of Antiquity, it is a pearl of the Balkans that is slowly making its way out of the shell. Discovered relatively recently, in 1966, its unearthing occurred in a slightly comical way by Vangjel Toçi. Legend has it that Vangjel, an archaeologist and resident of Durrës, happened upon a fig tree which had fallen a few meters below ground level. Curious and inquisitive, he insisted that the area undergo excavations. Rightly so, for underneath was lying the long-sought-after Amphitheater.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Durres Castle, Durres Albania
On the way to the Amphitheater, the visitor cannot miss the City Walls, built-in blocks that have managed to survive until this very day. Those who have governed the city throughout the ages have left their mark on the way the surrounding walls were used as, ultimately, they were a security system that protected the city from various conquests throughout history. The massive walls seen today were built by Anastasius I, the Byzantine emperor of the 4th century A.D, who defended the city from invaders. The walls’ original height of 18 meters and considerable breadth provided an advantage against enemies of the time. Later, it was emperor Justinian who reinforced the surrounding walls by placing small observation towers above them
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Lunch: 3-course menu Lunch in Durres
No accommodation included on this day.